About 6:45 this morning on Park Place and Nostrand in front of the women's entrance to the mosque. The victim was shot in the leg and the police showed up after about 10 minutes. A couple of good samaritans came by and tied a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding until the police and ambulance came.

I heard he was approached in front of the store by a guy, but its not clear how they got across the street or why he was shot. There was an after hours party at Secrets, so these might have been folks who started something in there, then brought it out on the street. The ambulance carted him off by 7:30.

Detectives are canvassing the neighborhood and said that the reason the bus was on the corner was because two other boys (one of whom was only 16) were shot on Nostrand near the front of the mosque a few weeks ago. I wonder if there is yet another minor turf battle underway?

"Police are looking for the gunman who shot a 34-year-old man in the leg early Sunday morning in Crown Heights.

According to police, the victim was shot once in the left leg in front of 837 Park Place between Nostrand and New York avenues at around 6:24am.

The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was treated for his injuries.

The shooter’s identity is unknown, and he remains at large. Detectives are investigating.

Anyone with information that can lead to the arrest of the person responsible for the shooting, please contact the 77th Pct Detective Squad at 718-735-0662, or call CRIME STOPPERS at 800-577-TIPS for a reward up to $2,000 for an anonymous tip that can lead to the arrest and indictment of a violent felon."

From reading these posts, it sounds like it is an open "secret" that Secrets causes some problems. Is there anything we can do to get more of a police presence on that corner? A few afternoons in the past week, I have noticed that there is a beat cop hanging out on the corner of Park and Nostrand, but that does not address the early morning issues. Can the Community Board be helpful, or is it solely to the Precinct that you must complain about your unhappiness with the summer violence?

Note, summer violence in NYC is not always driven by a bar breaking the SLA rules. Therefore, the above entities aren't going to necessarily put a lot of attention on Secrets. A pattern needs to be established.

Also, Secrects doesn't seem to be open on any particular schedule. There are weekends that it is shuttered and then it will be open only Friday and Saturday nights for a week or two. Over the years I've thought they were out of business several times only to have them operating again on the next big holiday weekend.

Did anyone else hear the fireworks or gunshots followed by shouting somewhere around Park and New York around midnight tonight? I heard a couple sirens and an ambulance just flew by my window. So I'm inclined to believe gunshots. Anyone else hear or see anything?

Yep, pretty sure those were gun shots. I saw one man (seemingly innocent bystander) taking cover behind a van, another individual running towards the shooting, and then one or two other people walking towards that direction.

It would have helped if the downstairs tenants had called since they could categorically determine where the shots were coming from. It seems unlikely that I would have heard gun shots that happened in a kitchen blocks away though.

Unfortunately, when everyone thinks someone else will call the police, no one actually calls. This is such a common phenomenon that it has been studied and labeled by psychologists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bystander_effect

People usually don't want to get involved in legal business if they don't have to. Also, @whynot_31 makes a good point by saying "The neighbors not calling the police may be due to...people not wanting the police indiscreetly knock on their door, and say 'you reported gunshots, we found a guy shot. Did you see anyone run away?'"

Do you really know what you're getting into when you report something to the police?

@tateinbk says that a call could have been made anonymously. Can someone post how one can go about making an anonymous call? Is there a tip line or something?

I think I can clear some of this up. There was a gun discharged on the Park Place block nearer to the corner of New York just after midnight. No cops ever showed up, so my assumption was that no one was injured. This followed an earlier incident on the corner near Nostrand where someone brandished a weapon, causing a bunch of people to flee up the block. No shots were fired, and again I'm guessing no one called the cops.

I'm a little surprised that 1) the Imam at the mosque allows drug dealing to take place directly outside of their doors, especially since its right near the woman's entrance; 2) even though there have been a number of shootings at that corner as well as fights on the block between Nostrand and Rogers - that corner is not constantly patroled by cops on foot patrol; 3) a block which houses a sitting member of the state legislature gets so little attention from the police.

There are signs hanging on the block about a block association meeting this week (I think it's Thursday night) at the day care center in the next block. The cops sometimes show up to those (as well as the drug dealers). May be worthwhile to go hear what folks are talking about.

As for the Prospect Place shooting, that seems to follow a developing pattern of older guys (30-60's) getting into dustups in their homes and being killed. I've heard of three or four cases of this in the last couple of years.

How can we get more beat cops assigned to the problematic corners, such as nostrand and park and nostrand and prospect place? I'm surprised that the imam at the mosque AND the key foods owner allow so much open drug activity and loitering around their establishments. I've called the precinct and left messages with a request for more patrols, but I doubt I have been listened to.

The owners of Secrets will get a variety of hearings at the SLA to argue their case that they should not be held responsible for the actions of the bouncer, and that the noise complaints were made by people who want a silent city.

I thought that 800.577.TIPS(8477) was the acknowledged way to make an anonymous report of a crime.Information provided through "e-tips" is secured over the internet through an encrypted system. After submitting their tip, users of the email form will receive a tip identification number. Users should save the tip ID and call CRIMESTOPPERS at 1-800-577-TIPS (1-800-577-8477) for a status on the tip.

If the tip provided by a caller leads to an arrest and indictment of an individual responsible for that crime, the user is then eligible for a reward up to $2,000. The award is paid through the New York City Police Foundation, an independent organization dedicated to promoting public safety in New York City.

Individuals calling, emailing or texting to CRIMESTOPPERS do not reveal their identities and cash rewards distributed by the Police Foundation are always received anonymously.

Actually, what's deplorable is the fact that a group of healthy young men choose to shoot at each other whenever they have a dispute rather than find some other way to manage their disagreements.

What's deplorable is that the people that love them turn a blind eye to these activities as well as their selling illegal drugs to others in the community and yet are the first to show up in greek chorus when one of these men is struck down.

What's deplorable is all the fine upstanding citizens that participate in precinct council, community board, block association meetings and the like, but don't seem to be able to affect any change on these corners where open and notorious drug activities occur.

What's deplorable is that the police whose job it is to stop illegal activity can't seem to figure out that the same guys who hang out on the same corner every day for years, and for whom neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds might actually be involved in something illegal.

Actually, what's deplorable is the fact that a group of healthy young men choose to shoot at each other whenever they have a dispute rather than find some other way to manage their disagreements.

What's deplorable is that the people that love them turn a blind eye to these activities as well as their selling illegal drugs to others in the community and yet are the first to show up in greek chorus when one of these men is struck down.

What's deplorable is all the fine upstanding citizens that participate in precinct council, community board, block association meetings and the like, but don't seem to be able to affect any change on these corners where open and notorious drug activities occur.

What's deplorable is that the police whose job it is to stop illegal activity can't seem to figure out that the same guys who hang out on the same corner every day for years, and for whom neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds might actually be involved in something illegal.

Yeah, all that is deplorable.

Yes, all of this. Especially the last paragraph on the police. How hard is it for them to send clear troublemakers on their way?

@crownheighster I've only had a few interactions with the NYPD over the years. Only in one can I remember think the officer was both polite and professional. It's my opinion a lot of the NYPD's officers are doing everything possible to reach retirement while doing the least amount of work possible. I once watched a couple officers tell a group of people who hang out in front of a building a little west of me to disperse. They dispersed to in front of my building. Apparently the cops were cool with this and drove off. I, however, wasn't happy with this compromise.

@bklyn50 Some of us use snark, sarcasm and humor to help us handle and process painful situations. Situations such as repeated shootings. Plus this is the internet and, as you know, no one is ever sarcastic ever snarky on it. ;)

Trust me we take these things very seriously. I have called 911 to report shootings or a couple situations that I thought could end in gunfire. I have the precinct's number saved and have called on a couple of occasions. I keep a constant eye on my block especially during the summer. Short of going to CB meetings, which I really should do, I'm doing everything I can. Many people here are doing the same. Yet, I believe given the current situation and the NYPD's lackadaisical approach to urban policing a healthy sense of cynicism is warranted. So let us have our snark and cynicism.

I am not ready to blame the police for people not turning around their own lives.

I think one of the best times to reach them is when they are about be sentenced. At that moment, we can offer them addictions treatment, mental health services, job training and education AND they might be willing to give it a shot to avoid incarceration.

Readers: I believe the above poster stated previously that he lives near Union and Franklin, an area that now has lots of police presence.

Does your landlord feel the police are acting in response to his requests, and those of other people with same interests?

He just recently started doing this. Our building had clearly become the place that was going to be the main hangout for this summer... so the all-night partying and dealing in our lobby was getting out of control. I'm on the ground floor so it is right outside my door.

He just started handing out the police officer's personal number this week. Not sure if it is related but the party has suddenly disappeared. We'll see if that lasts.

Actually, what's deplorable is the fact that a group of healthy young men choose to shoot at each other whenever they have a dispute rather than find some other way to manage their disagreements.

What's deplorable is that the people that love them turn a blind eye to these activities as well as their selling illegal drugs to others in the community and yet are the first to show up in greek chorus when one of these men is struck down.

What's deplorable is all the fine upstanding citizens that participate in precinct council, community board, block association meetings and the like, but don't seem to be able to affect any change on these corners where open and notorious drug activities occur.

What's deplorable is that the police whose job it is to stop illegal activity can't seem to figure out that the same guys who hang out on the same corner every day for years, and for whom neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds might actually be involved in something illegal.

Yeah, all that is deplorable.

end quote

I'm a homeowner, also. I attend precinct council meetings and am a member of CB8. I have raised three children in this community, and they are all leading successful adult lives. I constantly try to affect change by lobbying my local politicians. I have been fortunate enough to see changes by using the process of "law & order"; the creation of legislation, the application of the law by the police force, and the adjudication in the courts. Unfortunately, people are in charge of that process, and never are we all perfect or expedient. And "I" realize that change can only occur when WE all work together.

If you want to see a change in people who are gripped in poverty, who don't realize that they CAN be part of a viable society, look to the root cause - Money. The love of money is the root of all evil (or so the bible says). The disenfranchisement of the poor by removing funding from education, health (including mental health) and decent housing are major root causes of the madness that is evident on our streets. The recent article by Ta-Nehisi Coates in the June 2014 issue of "The Atlantic" deals with many of the root causes.

A few months ago I posted on NYNOW the following, in response to our mayor's request for funding for Universal Pre-K:

Whose universal pre-K funding plan do you prefer?Newly elected mayor deBlasio's plan to fund NYC "universal pre-K" (UPK) is in the best interests of the citizenry of the city and state. It has been proven that early stimulation of children leads to better educational results later in their lives. These better results are then translated into a better workforce, which obviously increases the state fisc. The population of NYC is in excess of 8.1M, and that of NYS 19.6M making NYC at least 41% of the state’s population. The meme of local government being the best government would apply here . DeBlasio was elected by more than 73% of the voting population. The financial benefits of catalyzing early development are striking in view of the fact that 80% of incarcerated felons lack a high school diploma. Nationally, states are trying to find ways to reduce the cost of their penal institutions. This applies to NYS. The average annual cost of incarcerating one person in NYS (in 2010) was more than $60K. The cost in 2011 to incarcerate 59,237 persons statewide was almost $3.6 billion. 22% These costs come from expenditures outside of just the corrections budget. That cost of jailing one person is easily the annual cost of an ivy league education. With globalization rapidly challenging the US workforce, we need to stimulate our human capital to its highest level of productivity. That would start with having the best educated workforce, and reducing the waste of human potential lost to a “crime university”. NY state is already on record as having underfunded NYC. The "Campaign for Fiscal Equity" (CFE) case that was initiated in 1993, and wound its way through state courts for thirteen years. In 2006, the Court of Appeals final ruling was that the state must provide essential resources for public school children. This occurred after (then) Gov. Pataki said after the appellate court struck down the initial finding of the case ruled for the plaintiffs, that the state had no more responsibility than to educate students to an 8th grade level, which would be sufficient for an entry level job, and sufficient for the citizen to pull a voting lever. When the ruling, on re-appeal, was re-instated, Gov. Pataki turned on his words and said that the state of NY has always sought the highest levels of education for all of its citizenry. Currently, much of the sentiments of Pataki's original statement still linger in the legislature. State Sen. Greg Ball's bio, on his official state website lists him as "fighting for the elimination of unfunded mandates". That could include the tragically unfunded mandate of educating students in all (urban) areas, not just NYC. -Desmond

A., Brooklyn (the part of my statement that is underlined was what was chosen for broadcast)

The dysfunction that is evident in our community, our city, and other parts of the country could be blamed on the roll of government and legislation that systematically "strangled government until it could fit in a bathtub". People who are being pushed onto train tracks or stabbed in public housing can look back to Gov. Rockefeller(R) and later Gov. Mario Cuomo(D) closing down mental health centers.

Until people realize that the taxes that WE pay should be used for the benefit of ALL society, WE will unfortunately continue to have the types of madness we see on the streets. WE will probably also see more of the madness that the banking system criminally perpetrated on the city, state, country, and the world. (that thing about the love of money being....)

The fact that I or my progeny aren't part of that dysfunctional group comes from being fortunate enough to have been born into a poor but loving home, where God, education, and respect for law was revered. Basically, structure. Oddly enough, people tend to become more structured when they aren't fighting the stifling, drowning effects of poverty. A wise friend of mine told me once that " you can't fight for yourself and fight for your balance at the same time". As long as poor people are constantly kept in a perennial state of disenfranchisement, with no visible means of uplifting themselves, and no instruction about how to achieve upward mobility, we will continue to have the results that we see on our streets.

The problems that are being discussed in this thread started 15-40 years ago. They can't be fixed overnight. That doesn't mean to stop working in that direction.